Wolves give Kuss students howling good time

Taylor Smith learned more about wolves from an unexpected nuzzle and lick than she could from any book or TV show.

The lesson came one recent afternoon as the eighth-grader came face to face with Magpie, a friendly 10-year-old wolf working the crowd in Fall River's Kuss Middle School gymnasium.

"It was really exciting," Smith said moments later, a smile still fixed on her face. "I just felt really happy. I have a dog at home but I've never experienced anything like this. Her yellow eyes look right into you. I felt a connection. She was really furry and soft, too."

Magpie and two of her friends, Zeab and Abraham, roamed the gym for about an hour under the watchful eye of Kent Weber and wife Tracy Brooks, co-founders of Mission: Wolf, a Colorado-based sanctuary for wolves and wolf-dog crosses that were born in cages and once held in captivity.

Weber travels the country to educate the public and correct misconceptions about the creatures through direct contact. He and the wolves get around in a hard-to-miss bus; a giant picture of Magpie decorates the rear.

Excited students sat in a circle on the gym floor as Weber prepared them to meet the wolves, emphasizing that if they stayed calm, the creatures would follow suit. He told them wolves are to be revered instead of feared and answered their questions about diet, habitat and personalities.

"Wild animals are not mean and wild animals are not aggressive, but they use their teeth like we use our hands," he said, noting that wolves can be unfairly criticized for their sharp choppers.

Weber told the students that humans actually could learn from wolves how to behave more appropriately in some instances. He said humans are "one of the only species" that show aggression when they lose self-control. Wolves often diffuse situations by ignoring whatever annoys them and walking away. The silent treatment commands respect from others, Weber said.

"It's something we could teach to young boys as a way to resolve conflict," Weber said.

The leashed wolves made several trips around the room, sniffing and kissing students along the way. They playfully wrestled and played with toys. Weber used towels to quickly clean up any unsightly accidents during the presentation.

Weber said he planned to reach 20,000 people across five states before heading home, where he cares for 37 wolves year-round. Mission: Wolf values education, sustainability and improving relationships between people, animals and the planet, according to the haven's mission statement.

Before he left, Weber taught the students how to howl in a fruitless attempt to prompt the wolves to do the same. He said he hopes the students someday get to see wolves in their natural habitat.

"You're all wolf teachers now," he told the children. "Apply these ideas of taking care of nature and respecting wild animals later in your life."

Rev. Robert Lawrence, active in Greater Fall River for years, facilitated Weber's visit. Kuss science teacher Sarah Chapin welcomed the crew with open arms, noting that eighth-grade students are learning about the importance of predators in the ecosystem and what can happen when humans intervene in nature. She got a friendly lick from one of the wolves, too.

"There's just a feeling of power coming from them," she said. "I don't have words to describe it."

According to Weber, close encounters like that are the most powerful teaching experiences in the world.

"You can show slide-shows all day, but that 30 seconds of face to face — there's nothing like it," he said.

Phil Devitt can be reached at editor@fallriverspirit.com or (508) 979-4492.